stevrock

Ok, I drive a 1990 Toyota pick-up ext. cab. It's automatic with the 22re motor.

Question 1. I have recently changed the spark plugs, wires distributer cap, and air filter. New tires that are at their proper air pressure, and new brakes that aren't ceased on anymore (oops). Now the problem is that it seems like it is really hard on gas. I can go for a drive for 10 hours and it will cost me $100 (CDN in liters) and my friend can do that on just $26 (CDN and in liters) Does anybody have any idea what the cause of this problem is?

Question 2. I know it would be alot of work, but I wanted to know if it would be possible to put a 4 runner body on the pickup's frame. I really want the removable top for my truck with the seating capacity, but I figure it would be too costly to lower the 4 runner to the ground. Would it be cheaper to lower the 4runner to the ground without using airbags, or to put the body of the 4 runner on the frame for my truck. If the body won't fit on my trucks frame, is there a frame from another toyota pickup that it would fit on?

Any advice helps, thanks alot.

TRunner

Does it seem underpowered? If so it could range anything from a running rich to bad cat or anything in between. What are some other characteristics that differ between this engine and your buddys? Performance wise, that is. Like idle, power, smells, sounds, etc...

I'm staying away from your second question as I don't do transformers... just engines and such.

mt_goat

Welcome to the board stevrock. If you will fill in your profile we will be able to help you more. Do you have a 4WD truck? Also, if you would convert your gas mileage from $ per hour to MPG we can compare it to ours, since most of us are in the US (plus $ per hour is so dependent on your gas prices)

stevrock

It is a 2wd, automatic with roughly 100,000 miles with a rebuilt motor about 2 years ago (30,000 miles). Oil changes are kept up to date. The truck is straightpiped, but would the reduction of backpressure cause such a waste in fuel? Also if you think that you can help with a solution from that bit of information, do you think that would solve the problem of the rpm dropping and then coming back up, again and again when I'm into the brakes on an off-ramp from the highway?

Sorry, it's been a few years since I took a math course, and I'm way too lazy to try to figure it out. It was mostly there to compare that there is a big difference in fuel milage.

Againa, any input helps.

mt_goat

Ok just for kicks I added up my gas receits for my trip to Santa Fe this summer. For the 8 hour drive the total came to $85 or $10.60 per hour. That is for gas at about $2.00 per gal. So your $100 for 10 hours doesn't seem way off, but your 2WD / 22RE engine should get better mileage than my lifted 4WD, V6.

As far as the body swap, I have never heard of anyone trying it and I think you would be better off just selling the truck and buying a 4 runner, if that's the body you want.

Are you running without an O2 sensor and cat?

stevrock

The O2 sensor is still there, but the cat is not. I've been asking around my town here and it's suggested that the loss of back pressure is causing my fuel problem.

About the 4Runner, would it be cheaper to lower it without bags, or to put the body of the 4 runner on a pickup frame. I have somebody that will help me with the labour of the body swap (if feasable) but I would have to pay for the bags to be installed. Any help here is appreciated.

TRunner

That doesn't seem like it would make much a difference. They are made to run fine without exhaust or a cat. The backpressure should be regulated in the most part by your exhaust pipe diameter. So you can fix that problem by running the correct exhaust pipe size for that specific engine. I would say there is something wrong with the way your truck is running.

swapping bodies is something I would never even try to attempt unless I was making a frankenRunner and was building it from scratch. I think just about anyone doing this for the reason of having a lowered Runner is in for some serious problems ahead. If you want a lowered 4Runner then get a 4Runner and lower it. Though I don't know why you would ever want to do that to a vehicle with the capabilities like a 4Runner. Things like this should be done to those fake SUV's like explorers and such. What you are doing is kinda like buying a Porsche and throwing in a Geo motor and a 24" lift. But that's just my opinion.

williemon

From what I read Stevrock, you say it costs you 100 cdn for your trip while a friend can do the same trip on just 26 cdn. If your compareing apples to apples there, Id say something was wrong. I could say for sure if I did conversion factors and such for mpg or mph and gph but Id have to look all that up and dont have time right now. You say its an automatic. Is it going into overdrive? if not, thats a sure gas waster. Are the tires a different size? I cant comment on the straight pipe exhaust.

From what I read, you have a 2WD truck. It sits much lower than a 4WD so I can see why you may not need a 4 runner at factory height and would be ok with a lowered one, but I still cant help you with that one.

yotafreakshow

I think the xtra cab's frame is too long for the 4runner body...though as everyone else has said, if you wamt a lowered 4runner, buy a 2wd and lower it. You will save $ and headaches in the end. Also, if you want a removeable top, you would have to buy an 84-89 model, further decreasing the chances that anything would be compatable as far as body mounts and frame specs. go. Also, I dont know if I've ever seen a 1st gen 2wd. Maybe an 84-88 reg cab 2wd truck frame would work to swap the 1st gen body onto. More likely approach I think..get one with a 5speed tranny! My auto sucks more gas than my 5 speed...like 5 mpg more.
It would be blasphemous to lower a 4wd. And a huge pain in the a$$.
Besides, 4wd's are way more fun and functional. I used to have a slammed 89 xtra cab 2wd. It was fun to build and sure looked sweet, but after getting hung up on numerous driveway approaches and bending a control arm and the frame hitting an un marked manhole cover that was raised up about 2" for repaving, I was over it.
Give me clearance or give me death!

That engine issue w/brake application has something to do with your idle setting and the sensor that tells the ecu to drop engine to idle when brakes are applied. If the idle is set too high, when the computer is told the brakes are being applied, if the rpm is above a certain speed, it conflicts with the motor and causes that rev-drop-rev reaction. I read this in a post on this site a while back, don't remember the details. It used to happen on a 3.0 I owned a while back, I always wondered what it was. Use the search funtion and you should be able to find it.

stevrock

Alright so talking to a buddy of mine, I was told my milage wouldn't be hurt from having it straightpiped, and he's not quiet sure what it could be from (I wasn't to helpful with information).

But the part about the revs dropping. Is that something I'd have to go to Toyota to get fixed? I really don't want to deal with those guys where I live. I do however know some mechanics that have worked there.

TRunner

You could probably use a good mechanic. not the dealer and not some guys who have just worked there. You need a good private mechanic. Where about are you located?

Waterboy

More then likely that is a problem with your TPS. It is a pretty common problem with that motor. My dad spent hundreds of dollars and years chasing the problem around until he replaced the TPS and has never had it happen again. Plus he said that he gets better mileage now too.

You'll get mixed reviews about running with out a cat but from my experience cars designed to run with them prefer to have them installed.

stevrock

I've noticed that when I'm goin about 70 mph, I will feel back pressure when I take my foot off the gas pedal, but if I take it out of overdrive, the backpressure will increase. I'm pretty sure the o/d is working properly.

What is a TPS?

My last mechanic was good, I was paying about $20 an hour for him, but he over charged me on parts and it took him almost 6 hours spanning 3 days to replace my: rotors, pads, grease seals, brakelines & fittings, saefty inspection, one calliper, adjust the drums, and do somehting about my emergency brakes. After I seen the reciept, a cool $60 for brake pads, I've decided to stop working with him.

My new mechanics charge $20 and hour, and give me the parts at THEIR COST. The ones that are firmiliar with Toyota, these guys are good, they know what they're doing, and this is the treatment if they don't know who you are. Now we all found out I'm friends with half of their family, they are getting better and better (good thing my city has only 30,000 people eh? Small world)

I'm located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. If you find me better mechanics here, I'll fly wherever to kiss your feet (I'm joking).

Waterboy

How can you feel back pressure?

Throttle Position Sensor
Search from here
https://www.yotatech.com/search.php?searchid=350593

Link from 4crawler's site
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/TPS/index.shtml

TRunner

This is what threw me through a loop...

stevrock

sorry, not backpressure. Engine braking, it feels like I geared down.
Any-who, today just getting off of work, I pull into my driveway and put my truck in park, then the revs dropped really low, I thought the engine was about to die. Around that level of a thrown connecting rod and popped back up. Then I left my foot on the brake and the motor did it another 2-3 times.

TRunner

I am getting more confused...

What do you mean engine braking and geared down. Are you trying to say it seems like the truck is slowing itself down faster due to either the transmision or the engine?

When you say "revs" do you mean RPM's or is the truck reving as in going form high to low RPM's in a repeated fashion?

If you throw a connectng rod, chances are your engine wont be running due to parts rattleing around and cracking either your head or block and just generaly siezing your engine.

Clear this up for me and I might be able to help you out a bit, but I am still unclear of your actual problem.

stevrock

ok, another shot at this one.

When I am going about 65mph, and I take my foot off the gas pedal, it feels like the truck gears down (it doesn't, it's just engine braking) But what I don't understand is that the O/D works fine. Is this normal in other people's toys or is it some weird thing mine has got going for it?

And sorry, I mean RPM but I don't have a tach in my truck so I just said revs so people wouldn't ask for numbers.
But when I put the truck into park, the rpm will dip to around the stalling point of the motor, but it won't stall and it'll pick back up, from the point where the rpm drops to when it goes to normal is about a 2 second interval, and a couple seconds later it will do it again. Only when my foot is on the brake. When my foot is off the brake, it doesn't happen.
I have also noticed it happen when I'm slowing down from 50mph with my foot on the brake but it's much quicker.

I know it's not a thrown connecting rod, I blew one out of the block of my parents camry a few years back on a road trip (oops).

In short, my problem is the trucks rpm dips close to where it should stall, but then it picks back up and repeats it's self until I take my foot off the brake. I guess it doesn't matter at all how fast I'm going or what gear I'm in, it does it in all gears and all speeds.

TRunner

Ok... in that sense did you check the TPS like Waterboy suggested? It could be a tranny problem. From what it sounds, though, you have not found a good knowledgable mechanic yet. I'm really at a loss on your problem, myself. Hopefully someone else will chime in, but with out any error codes or checking the TPS and such, I don't know what more I could suggest. Plus the 22re aint my bag, baby!

stevrock

Alright, so I finally got off my lazy a** went down to the my mechanic's place and got the codes run. It ended up being my TPS which is going to run my upwards of $200 (the most he'll charge, he's not sure which one is on my truck).

Problem solved.
Sorry I was a little late bringing the information back to you guys, thanks for your help.